


The Heat

by Requin



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 21:06:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11997957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Requin/pseuds/Requin
Summary: Things get a little steamy.





	The Heat

Serena knew something was wrong as soon as she stepped onto the ward. A wall of heat hit her face and she gasped in surprise, her coat and scarf already prickly and uncomfortable. She saw Raf at the nurses’ station fanning himself while talking to Lou, his skin glistening. 

“What on earth happened?” Serena asked with a growl. 

“Heating pipe burst, the whole ward feels like a sauna. We’ve got technicians on it but they don’t know where the leak’s coming from, so for now we’re just re-routing patients.” 

“Fantastic.” Serena snapped. 

Of all the days for this to happen. She was booked in theatre all day, had mountains of paperwork to complete, and the situation with Bernie was… tense was probably an understatement. Serena sighed, hung up her coat and sat at her desk, the heat pretty uncomfortable even with the window open. Ever since that kiss in theatre, after saving Fletch’s life, and the conversation that came after, they’d been trying to find the ease of their friendship again. 

The only thing that Serena had managed to do in those two weeks was to be even more certain in the knowledge that she found Bernie extremely attractive, and that this ‘forgetting all about it’ business was complete pants. She took off her blouse in a huff, the fabric stuck to her back, and shoved it in her bag. At least they were on opposite shifts today, Serena reminded herself, which was a relief because she needed to concentrate. She couldn’t be walking into doors and losing the thread of conversations like every damn day since they had kissed. She wanted to feel sane at least for a few hours, and not jump like a freaked-out cat every time she saw Bernie round a corner. This was her place of work, for Christ’s sake, not a secondary school. 

With that all cleared up and with a steely determination to do her job, she scrubbed up for her first surgery. She always found the process soothing, the dressing, the methodical washing, and when she entered theatre, she was calm and ready. The room had its own generator and ventilation system, so at least it was cool, and the femoral to femoral bypass went without a hitch. 

Serena completed the post-op paperwork at the nurses’ station, her skin hot and damp, and she managed to steal a fan from the staff room. She was bringing back her prize, struggling with some files as well, when the office door opened and Bernie stood there, hair all over the place and only wearing a tank top and scrubs bottoms. Serena blinked. Her eyes automatically traced the toned arms, and sighed at a perfect bead of sweat rolling down Bernie’s neck. She squished her files to stop herself from licking it off, cleared her throat, which seemed to startle Bernie, and entered the office. 

“What are you doing here so early?” Serena asked a little grumpily, not looking at Bernie. No one above the age of 50 should be allowed to look this good in a simple white tank top, she thought with a flush of heat. 

Bernie shrugged, her hair a little stuck to the back of her neck. 

“Raf called me in, we are a man short.” 

“Ah, ever the soldier.” Serena drawled, fanning herself with a file. 

Bernie’s eyes grew wider and Serena could have sworn there was a blush on those lovely cheekbones, but Bernie turned her head and occupied herself with plugging in the fan. The air was still stifling hot but at least it was moving around a bit. Serena tried to concentrate on her paperwork but she could see Bernie in her field of vision, with all that skin she had never seen on show, and she kept stealing glances.

The heat was making her languid, slow and a little reckless, and so she allowed herself a minute of gazing. Bernie was looking at her computer and would have looked like a picture perfect professional if not for her clothes and her flushed skin. Serena felt a wave of contentment and desire wash over her. Bernie was so beautiful. She’d always thought so, but today she was especially so. It was something to do with that messy ponytail, or maybe it was how her skin glowed, or how slender and delicate her fingers looked when she typed, but Serena had known all of this. She tilted her head, deep in thought, a small smile playing on her lips. Maybe it was the discovery of Bernie’s shoulders, how strong her arms looked, and suddenly there was the image of running a hand up the bicep, fingers curling around the shoulder, pulling in. Christ, Serena thought, her throat dry, she had to stop this. It wasn’t healthy to fantasise at work about her best friend. And it wasn’t fair on Bernie to lust after her when they’d decided to put it behind them. 

“Serena?” Bernie asked from her desk. 

Serena jumped up, startled, and she blushed, embarrassed at being caught daydreaming. Bernie’s eyes were full of mirth, and Serena raised an eyebrow in warning. She was too hot to be messed around with. 

“Come have a look at this. I can’t make heads or tails of these results.” Bernie asked softly. 

Serena got up, intrigued, but didn’t really think things through because now, instead of being at a safe distance and two desks apart, she was sitting next to Bernie, and their bare arms were touching. She inhaled slowly, willing her silly heart to calm down, and grabbed the chart. Bernie made no move to put any distance between them, so she stayed where she was, breathing in Bernie’s scent. She’d never ask what it was, but she smelled sandalwood and the heat was making it muskier and earthier, and there was literally no other place Serena would want to be. 

The results were unusual, so that occupied them for a while, and because Serena had been shamelessly thinking about Bernie’s body for that last couple of weeks, she had almost forgotten how bright the other woman was. It was a delight talking to her, listening to her reasoning and her thought process. It made her even more attractive and it reminded Serena that Bernie was the full package. The sudden thought was heady and, coupled with the heat and Bernie’s perfume, jump-started her poor, abused heart again. She knew she had to leave, regain a bit of control before her next surgery, but she was having far too much fun. 

The day dragged on, the ward still muggy and stuffy, but all her surgeries were successful and she was working on her paperwork with her feet on her desk and the fan right behind her, blowing on her neck. Bernie walked in after a while, her scrubs pants folded up to her knees, and Serena felt something in her chest give because Bernie looked way too adorable and sexy at the same time. Serena paused. Adorasexy? Sexorable? Serena rolled her eyes, disgusted at herself. 

“I can’t feel the fan anymore.” Bernie complained from her chair. 

Serena laughed and shook her head. “It’s mine, Major. I stole it.” 

“But it’s so hot, and you’re in front of it.” 

“That sounded very much like a whine, Ms Wolfe.” Serena said sternly. 

“Oh it did, did it? I think you should just move, Campbell.” Bernie said with a smile. 

“Make me.” Serena replied, her belly swooping. She had meant to say it jokingly, but her voice was all wrong, and it sounded like a definite come on. 

Bernie stilled, her dark, dark eyes boring into her. It was like the air had been sucked out of the room. The only sound was the fan behind her, and that wasn’t enough to cover the frantic beats of her heart. She was about to laugh it off, move on to something else, anything, when Bernie stood up slowly. Serena swallowed. Bernie moved like a cat, never breaking off the eye contact, and with a little, dangerous smile on her lips. Serena bit off a whimper, rooted on the spot, probably giving a great impersonation of a deer caught in the headlights. 

“Oh, I think I will.” Bernie said, her voice almost a growl. 

Serena held her breath when Bernie stepped closer, her eyes very wide, but unable to look anywhere else but into Bernie’s eyes. They were so dark, so intent, and her mouth opened slightly when Bernie bent over, her hands on the armrests on either side of Serena. The air was thick and heavy, but Serena took no notice of that, only of how close Bernie was. She could practically see down her tank top, and could glimpse a flash of white lace, and the damn heat was muddling her brain and she couldn’t think, not with Bernie so close. She looked up, her hands white with strain clutching at the armrests, and the breath she’d been holding came barrelling out when she saw the look in Bernie’s eyes. There was no mistaking that look. It sent a jolt through her and she shivered. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had looked at her like that, if ever. 

“Move, Fraulein.” Bernie whispered. 

And then she leaned forward, every so slowly, and Serena gulped, and did not budge. She had never been this turned on in her life. She could feel the heat coming off of Bernie. 

“No.” Serena knew how to use her voice. She’d been praised in the past, complimented by previous lovers. So she grazed Bernie’s ear with her lips and dripped the word out. She felt the the strain in Bernie’s arms, saw a muscle jump in her jaw, and she smiled. 

“If you don’t move…” Bernie said, getting even closer. 

Serena raised an eyebrow, and she wet her lips, chuckling when Bernie’s eyes tracked the movements of her tongue. They were both breathing in gasps. 

“What? What are you going to do?” Serena drawled, head spinning at the want and need pooling low in her belly. 

It occurred to her that they’d been doing this for weeks, this game of cat and mouse. All their interactions lately had been flirty and so no wonder they were here now, ready to jump each other in their office, mad with lust. 

Bernie cupped her face with a trembling hand and brushed a thumb on her cheekbone. Serena sighed, arching into the touch. 

“I’ll just have to move you myself, then.” Bernie said with a little hitch in her voice. 

Serena didn’t know who made the first move, liked to think it was a collective effort, and their lips crashed together, Bernie with her hands on Serena’s face, Serena burying hers in Bernie’s hair. The ward was half empty, and Serena threw caution to the wind for once in her life. She opened her mouth, pushed forward, and moaned when their tongues slipped against each other. Had she even been aware that kisses like this one existed? Just heat and tongue and wet and aching need. When Bernie slipped a hand under her top, her fingers splayed on her belly, Serena wrenched herself from the kiss and gasped against Bernie’s temple. She couldn’t believe she was still sitting, hadn’t just passed out in a puddle of sweaty need at Bernie’s feet. 

“Jesus…Christ” She heard Bernie breathe out unsteadily somewhere in her hair. 

She nodded, laughing a little, trying not to act like she’d been bowled over, that this woman kept bowling her over, all the time, be it with a simple smile or a flick of her hair. 

She stood up on very unsteady legs, holding on to Bernie, and pressed their bodies together. There was so much bare skin, Serena thought a little deliriously. 

“I’m, uh, going to go out on a limb here and say us keeping things confined to theatre was a very, very bad idea, and that our undeniable sexual chemistry should be free to roam wild.” Serena murmured in Bernie’s ear. 

She felt Bernie swallow, and rather than let the woman speak she licked a trail from her shoulder to her pulse point and sucked at a spot just under her ear, grinning at the salty taste on her tongue. Bernie stammered, her fist full of Serena’s top. 

“O…ok, yep, yeah it was a very bad, no good idea, agreed.” Bernie managed to let out. She slid her hands onto Serena’s waist to bring her even closer, and slipped a thigh between her legs. Serena buried her face in Bernie’s neck, gasping at how slippery the skin there was. She wanted to lick her everywhere, could not think of anything else but that. 

“However, maybe it could roam somewhere less public? Like…maybe it could roam at my place?” Serena suggested, her voice thick like honey, in between hot kisses pressed against Bernie’s neck. 

“Yes, yes, that would be, ah, more than acceptable.” 

Serena smiled and made to untangle herself, but Bernie held her close and cleared her throat. 

“Slight issue with that plan, however.” 

Serena raised an eyebrow, her breathing shallow and her eyes unfocused, her hands caressing Bernie’s arms, up and down, and up again. “Ah, yes?”

“I’m on a double shift. Raf called me in, remember?” 

Serena closed her eyes. She was going to kill Raf, and his entire family, and then she was going to bring them back to life, and kill them all once more. She felt more than heard Bernie chuckle. 

“I clock off in four hours, though.” She whispered with a wink. 

Serena stared at her lips for a second, distracted, Bernie’s hands still at her waist. It would be late, but she wasn’t going to wait any longer. They had wasted too much time already and Serena was damned if she wasn’t going to grab this opportunity with both hands, hell, with her entire body. 

“Jason is away for the night, some sci-fi meet up.” Serena said with great restraint, trying to sound normal. 

Bernie’s eyes got two shades darker and she wet her lips. 

“I will meet you there, as soon as my shift finishes.” Bernie promised, deadly serious. 

Serena nodded, sighed, slipped her hands around Bernie’s neck and kissed her deeply, her tongue wetting Bernie’s bottom lip, and she drank in Bernie’s little whimpers and pulled away, dragging the bottom lip between her teeth, smiling at the gasp she received like a pretty present. 

“See you then, Major.” She drawled. 

She untangled herself with a disappointed sigh, smoothed her top with her hands, and then her hair, kept her eyes away from Bernie until the very last moment, and it was only when she got to the door that she looked behind. Bernie was still against the filing cabinet, looking like a wet dream in a catalogue, and Serena closed her eyes, lest she be tempted to jump back into her arms. 

“And bring the tank top with you, yes?” She said as a parting shot. 

“Yes, ma’am.” Serena heard as she closed the door with a smirk. 

Serena gasped with relief when she hit the much cooler air outside the hospital, but didn’t waste anytime in getting into her car. The sun had just set and she was a woman with plan. Bernie and she might have been two seconds from shagging each other’s brains out, but now that they had a little bit more time, Serena was going to make sure they did this right. 

She swung by her favourite wine merchant, got a couple of nice bottles, marched through the supermarket for the ingredients for a simple pasta dish that Bernie had mentioned she liked, and then zoomed home, giddy like a 16 year-old. 

She was nervous, of course she was, but she knew that however they spent their time, they would have a great evening. She knew her body, and at this point, Bernie could have read her the phone book and it would have been enough to set her off. Still, she giggled as she tidied up her front room, blushed as she started the pasta sauce, and had to do a few breathing exercises to get her through her long shower. She chose a nice lingerie set, fumbling slightly with the fastening of her bra as she imagined Bernie taking it off, and picked a nice, silky, red blouse that Bernie had complimented her on once. 

And when everything was ready, when she had done everything possible to feel comfortable and at home, she plonked herself on her sofa with a glass of wine and waited, an eye on the telly and the other on the clock on the wall. The anticipation was delicious. It reminded her of first dates when she was younger, mixed with the joy of doing this with her best friend. She didn’t think many people had the chance to have this. 

Just as her nerves were starting to kick in, her foot jiggling over her knee, she heard a car parking in her driveway. “Alright Campbell, you’ve got this.” She said to herself with a smile. 

The doorbell rang and when she opened the door, Bernie was on the other side with a bottle of wine, wearing that fetching khaki McIntosh, black skinny jeans and, Serena noticed with a pang of pleasure, the white tank top. She smiled, grabbed her by the lapels, and dragged her inside without a word. 

“Good evening, Fraulein.” Bernie said with a chuckle, but her eyes widened when she looked around and noticed Serena’s outfit and the candles scattered around the place. Serena might have gone overboard with them, but she liked them and liked the soft glow they gave everything. 

There was a second of hesitation, of awkwardness, when they just looked at each other with wide eyes, Serena marvelling at the road that had led them here. She reached for the wine, set it on a table in the lounge, and then went to take Bernie’s coat off. 

That was when the plan went completely off the rails, because Serena lost her mind a little and just kissed Bernie, and then kissed her again, her arms encircling her and holding her close. It felt so good to touch her, her skin was so soft and she was making those whimpers again, the ones that drove Serena wild. It was all she could do to not to have her way with her on the floor in front of the door. Instead she took Bernie’s hand and led her to her bedroom. The stairs were a little tricky because they kept getting distracted. Serena discovered a spot at the base of Bernie’s neck that drove the other woman crazy, sagging in her arms, pulling at her hair with great gasps. Bernie somehow managed to get rid of her blouse and as they hit the last step, hoisted Serena’s camisole over her head, not even losing one second of contact before finding her lips again. 

The bedroom was softly lit with another bunch of candles, and Serena would have blushed at her presumptuousness, but it was hard to care when Bernie raked her dangerously dark eyes all over her body and licked her lips. 

“You are so beautiful, Serena.” Bernie rasped out. 

Serena smiled not only at the compliment but at the way Bernie had said her name, like she was something to cherish and worship. Bernie crowded her by the door and brought their bodies together, both topless by this point. Serena gasped and rolled her hips into Bernie, chasing the contact. Bernie pinned her to the wall, her glorious length pressed against her at last and Serena felt her legs go weak. Again, in normal circumstances, she would have been a little embarrassed at the strength of her reaction, but Bernie seemed to be feeling exactly the same, and the desire she could feel off the other woman fed into hers. 

“Bed?” Serena gasped out, not sure she could stand for much longer. 

Bernie nodded and twirled them around, Serena’s feet barely touching the floor, and they sunk into bed with a breathless laugh. Serena looked up and her heart soared at the sight greeting her. Bernie had a little smile on her lips, her eyes peeking out from behind her fringe, and she looked so happy that Serena could only kiss her and then kiss her some more. 

They undressed each other in between kisses, pausing to ask if everything was ok, and then not pausing anymore because it was evident that everything was more than ok. 

Serena thought she could happily kiss Bernie until the end of time just to listen to her moans, but then she discovered Bernie’s breasts. She spent a few glorious moments licking and nipping them, each gasp going straight between her legs, the sensation so strong she had to stop every so often to take herself off the edge, and that was new, wanting to come so badly just by doing things to someone rather than having things done to her. Bernie was so free in bed. She kept caressing Serena’s back and shoulders, whispering words of encouragement and gasping her name every time Serena did something right. 

When Serena, after many detours, finally slipped a hand between Bernie’s legs, biting her lip at the wetness she found there, Bernie clutched her shoulder and cried out. There was a broken “Oh, god”, that made Serena shiver, and she slowly pushed in a finger, marvelling at the silky heat, watching Bernie’s face like a hawk. Her heart was pounding, she was hardly breathing, everything that mattered was under her, writhing and whimpering. She felt drunk with power, and humbled by it at the same time, and when Bernie started shaking, she kissed her belly and held her down and watched in awe as Bernie came apart. 

“Oh…oh I knew you would be good at this.” Bernie whispered with a hand over her eyes. 

Serena chuckled and slid back up Bernie’s body, kissing her hip, the underside of her breast, her neck, everything she could get her lips on. 

“You’ve been thinking about it?” Serena asked cheekily as she settled against Bernie’s side, their bodies moulded as if they were parts of a puzzle. 

“All the time.” Bernie replied, her voice still rough. 

Serena hummed happily, proud and a little smug, so she missed the shift in Bernie’s eyes and yelped in surprise when she found herself on her back and pressed down, Bernie between her legs. 

“Oh, that’s nice.” Serena breathed out, her head spinning. 

Bernie lowered her head and they kissed lazily, and Serena moaned when she felt teeth, her body now fully aware that Bernie was naked and soft and amazing, and her hips bucked and she whined, gasping at the ache between her legs. Bernie’s hands were suddenly everywhere, on her waist, her breasts, caressing and kneading and she found herself pulling at Bernie’s hair, and Bernie was cooing and whispering things in her ear that made her brain short circuit. Things like “I’m going to make feel so good, I’m going to lick you everywhere, you are so beautiful.” On and on, until Serena was about to sob for relief. 

And then finally. “I’ve got you, Serena.” Whispered against her belly. Serena opened her eyes, mesmerised by the sight of Bernie Wolf lying between her legs, looking like she belonged there, her eyes dark like the night. 

“I’ve been wanting to do this for such a long time.” Bernie said as she spread Serena’s legs and nuzzled into her thighs. Serena fisted the sheets, her back taut and tense. And then she saw a flash of tongue and she slammed her head back against the pillows, her body moving on its own accord. She heard herself make sounds she had never made. She was loud and she did not care, because Bernie was loving her and seemed to know exactly what she liked, and then, all too quickly, she felt a stab of white hot pleasure sneaking up her spine and she wailed, and sobbed and thought it would last forever. 

“You looked…so…my god Serena, I love you.” Bernie said after a while, taking her into her arms, and Serena felt safe. 

The words warmed her entire body. She smiled. 

“Me too. For a long time, I think.” She whispered in Bernie’s neck. 

She felt Bernie smile against her temple, her body heavy and sweaty and glorious. 

“So, it wasn’t just the heat and the tank top?” Bernie asked, a laugh in her throat. 

Serena snorted, and then she laughed because she was so damn happy. 

“Oh, we are framing that tank top. It’s a work of art. The heat made me a little crazy, I’m sorry if I…”

Bernie kissed her, her hand on her waist, pulling her close, their legs tangled. 

“Oh, no, no, there is nothing to be sorry for. You are the bravest woman I know, Serena. I’m the one who should apologise for not listening earlier, I feel like a fool, I thought I knew what you wanted.” 

Serena smoothed the lines between Bernie’s eyes with little kisses. 

“Well, it gave me time to make sure. You’re all I’ve thought about.” 

She heard Bernie inhale sharply, and she smiled, her body stirring once more. She wondered if…

“That night, after we kissed, I barely made it to my bedroom.” She whispered. 

Bernie growled and flipped them over, taking Serena’s hands in one of her own and putting them over Serena’s head. Serena laughed, delighted. Bernie’s eyes were sparkling, looking at her, and Serena recognised the love there. 

“You think we can break that heating pipe again?” 

Serena chuckled. 

“If it leads to a repeat of this afternoon, I’ll bring my hammer.”


End file.
